Robinswood Hill (c) Nathan Millar
Nature Nurtures
Connecting children with nature to improve their wellbeing
Come discover the power of nature to reset children’s minds, promoting positive mental health and a love of the natural world to find an inner peace.
Nature Nurtures is a project aimed at helping children that are struggling emotionally, and we have fun by connecting them with nature through immersive experiences. Funded by the NHS, through the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership as part of the Nature on Prescription Funding 2023, the project consists of weekly outdoor sessions for children of all ages in eight-week blocks in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and the Forest of Dean.
As society is becoming less and less connected to nature and with mental health issues in children on the rise, this project has become an important tool to help children reconnect with themselves, others and the natural world. We have seen transformative results with children making friends for the first time in years, feeling safe, and getting their spark of happiness back again.
What are the sessions like?
We create a camp-style atmosphere with a relaxed environment: doing activities such as nature art, sawing and woodwork, mindfulness, making bird feeders, and dream catchers to catch the children’s goals for the future. Focusing on positive mental health, we do nature journaling to try to process feelings and observe our surroundings. We also focus on learning about taking care of our environment and thinking about water sustainability issues through pond and river dipping. We have campfires and build dens to promote teamwork and encourage a community feel using nature songs. The children even cook nettle soup using what they learnt in the foraging session- mmmm delicious!
How do I find out more?
Any questions about the project, please contact Georgie Hoare our Nature and Wellbeing Project Officer on georgina.hoare@gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk
